Needle threader



at 8, 1935. w. FREY 2,161,423

NEEDLE THREADER Filed Oct. 4, 1935 //7 ventor:

Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application October 4, 1933, Serial No. 692,075 In Germany October 10, 1932 Claims. (Cl; 223-99) This invention relates to a needle threader of the hook type, in which the needles are automatically straightened and threaded without straining the eyes or requiring a steady hand.

Threaders of this class are known already, in which straightening and threading take place automatically, the straightening operation being effected by moving the needle during its introduction into the device between movable jaws in the direction of its longitudinal axis.

Compared with existing devices, the invention provides that the needle during its introduction into the threader passes first between straightening surfaces having different coefficients of friction and then along notched slide bars for stopping the needle at the desired point, the slide bars being preferably staggered to straighten the needle in its longitudinal axis by the wedge effect of the notches and to prevent clamping of the thread when the threaded needle is removed. One of the straightening surfaces is preferably movable and acted upon by a spring which imparts to it the application pressure required for straightening the eye, and one of the slide bars is preferably provided with supplementary cushioning. The needle can be passed through the straightening surfaces and moved up to threading position by means of the fingers, unless a special appliance is used for these operations. The bar limiting the descent of the needle rises to a certain degree to facilitate accurate fixing of the height of the eye. A hooked needle serving for drawing the thread through the eye is preferably movable to permit automatic adjustment to different eye levels. Suitably disposed safety pins or surfaces prevent operation of the device carrying the hooked needle before the needle is in threading position.

The new threading device is furthermore so arranged that when the needle is in threading position the eye of the needle stands perfectly clear to facilitate threading.

By way of example, two embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 to 3 show a threader in which the needle is passed through by hand while Figs. 4 to 7 show a threader in which the needle is brought into position by a lever. Figs. 8 to 11 illustrate the threading process for needles of different sizes.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a front view of the first embodiment; Fig. 2, a sectional side view thereof on the line 11-11, of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows the rear wall with the support removed; Fig. 1a.

is a side View of a groove; Fig. 4, a front view of the second embodiment; Fig. 5, a sectional side view thereof on the line V--V, of Fig. 4; Fig. 6, a sectional top view thereof on the line VI--VI, of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a sectional top view thereof on the line VIIVII, of Fig. 5; Fig. 8, an enlarged sec- 5 tion similar to Fig. 2 with respect to a large needle which is straightened while the thread drawing hook is in highest and receiving position, as indicated by dotted lines, and the threaded needle with thread guide is shown in broken lines when leaving the device; Fig. 9 is a topview of Fig. 8 with the needle disposed between the slide bars shortly before reaching threading position; Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with respect to a small needle which is straightened while the dotted drawing hook is in lowermost and thread receiving position; Fig. 11 is a top View of Fig. 10 with the needle arranged within the notches of the slide bars in threading position.

Referring to the drawing and to the modification shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10, a housing of suitable construction is provided having a needle receiving channel member R disposed on an angle to the length of the housing. The needle b is initially positioned in this channel R, being inserted until it strikes a limiting rail g, which in Fig. 1 is indicated as being a curved member.

A fixed needle straightening member 2' is carried by the housing above the rail g, and upper and lower friction members d and e are yieldably carried by the housing, which coact with the straightening member i in turning the needle b as it is moved in a vertical swinging movement out of the channel B. These needle straightening members (2 and e are preferably of different degrees of friction so that the desired turning movement will be accomplished. The needle straightening members i, d, and e have a needle receiving notch 70, and when the needle reaches this notch 7c the eye thereof will be in alinement with a threading hook 0 which is pivotally carried as at s by an operating lever P, and tensioned by means of a spring q.

A thread supporting means 0 is secured to the housing in a position confronting the hook 0 so that the bill it of the hook o will engage the looped portion of the thread. The rail g has a flange on the side opposite from the friction member 6 so that the inner end of the needle will be clamped firmly. A fixed member B is carried by the housing above the rail g against which the needle is adapted to bear during the raising of the outer end of the needle. This needle positioning member B prevents the needle from moving past the threading position, which position is in a position confronting the bill it of the hook o and directly in line with the bill it and the thread support 12.

The device functions as follows:

In the position A, the needle I) is pushed by hand along the groove R up to the bar 9, regardless of the direction of its eye, as indicated in Figs. 1, 1a, and 3.

When turned about the pivot B (Fig. 3) in the directionof the arrow a the needle I) will'pass between the straightening faces F, f having different coeflicients of friction, as shown in Figs. 2, 8, and 9, the difference in coeffieients of friction producing during the passage of the needle b a rotary motion thereof about its longitudinal axis.

The straightening surface F is secured to a movable support G, as shownin Figs. 1 and 9, which under the action of the spring 0- causes friction between the faces F, f and the needle I) as required for rotation the latter. The rotary motion of the needle I) continues until the flat sides of; the needle eye-are adjacent to the surfaces F, f,

whereupon further rotation is no longer possible.

Until'threading position has been attained the needle b will carry out only a sliding motion between-the faces F, f and the surface 1 and, the slide bars d, e connected with the support G prior to entering the notches k of the guide bar i and slide bar d where it will be firmly held between the members 7 and It. If the needle b has accidentally attained the correct position while be ing inserted in the threader and the, surfaces of the eye are thus already parallel to the straightening motion a and to the faces F, f, the needle "will not be rotated while moving in the direction ofthe arrow but slide instantly to its threading position between the faces 1 and-the slide bars d, e.

Owing to the drawing action of the spring 0, theslide bar e presses the lower part of the eye of the needlehfirmlyagainst-the surface 7 to preventfurther displacement'or rotation of the needleb while, simultaneously, the distance m will'prevent clamping of-the thread during removal of theneedle b from the threader, asindicated in Fig. -8.

In order to bring the needle I) inserted at A up to the slide bar gsafely on threading level, the

bar g rises in the direction of passage of the needle the. needle 0 held inlowermost. position by the sprihgqand the stop .1 meets with its point the lowestedge of the eye .opening and, while. under tensionby. the springq, passes through the eye, the. hooked (needle 0 adjusting itself automatically to the different diameters Sg or Sic of the eye of the needle 1) When the lever'p is'stopped by the member t, the. hookedneedle o has been passed through the .eye to such an extent that thethread can ,be.,placed in front. of the receiving hook it. Theuthread is drawn over a double-sided guide 12 to insure uniform seating. The .receivinghook it enters the hollow space formed by the sides of the guide 12 and is thus protected against damage.

'During return of the. lever 10 the needle 0 draws the thread through the eye .by means of the hook u, whereupon the needle is upwardly removed from the threader while the ends of the thread continue to be drawn through the eye until the shorter end is out. Then the uniform pull of the two ends relative to the hook u will stop, 5 the thread become disengaged from the hook it and the needle b be threaded and ready for use.

The lever 19 carries a safety surface 2, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and can be operated, together with the hooked needle 0, only after the needle 0 b has passed this surface 2 and reached threading position, so that the needle 0 cannot be damaged.

Inthe construction shown in Figs. 4 to 7, T is an inlet funnel and h, a lever carrying the funnel 15 T, by means of which the needles b contained in the member T are passed between the straightening surfaces F and 'j, as indicated in Figs. 4, 5, 6. w designates a safety pin on the lever 11; :r, a safety pin on the lever h; 1/, a recess on the lever 20 h for themember w, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6, '1. The members 10 and a: lock one another, so that the lever p carrying the hooked needle 0 can be actuated only when the lever h is advanced to such an extent that the member :0 of-the lever p 5 can pass through the recess J of the'leverb. Premature operation of the lever p and, as a result, damage to the hooked needle 0 are therefore excluded. All other parts correspond to the parts shown in Figs. 1 to 3, if they bear the same 30 reference letters, and the further operation of the device is like that of the first-described construction. To repeat briefly:

Manual threading by means of this first construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 is carried. out by 5 whereupon the needle is turned into threading position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Then the lever p is advanced, the thread placed over the 40 guide 22 and the lever p pushed back. Threading is now completed, and the threaded needle b is drawn out of the device.

When threading with the device shown in Figs. 4 to 7 the operator passes the needle 17 through 45 the funnel T on the lever h at A up to the slide. bar 9, whereupon the lever h is turned in the direction at until threading position is attained, as indicated in Fig. 4, and the lever p advanced. Then the thread is placed over the guide 12 and the lever 12 returned. Since'threading is' now completed, the threaded needle can be taken out.

I claim:--- 7 r l. A needle threader comprising opposed cam members one movable relative to the other, said 55 members being disposed in different planes for engagement with the periphery of a needle at points spaced longitudinally of the needle, 9. member disposed below said cam members to limit the insertion of the needle, 2. stop means for limiting the swinging movement of the needle,

a pivoted thread pulling hook supported for movement relative to a needle engaging said step means. V

2; A needle threader comprising opposed cam 65 members one. movable relative to the other, each of said cam members adapted to exert a pressure against the needle different from that of the opposite cam 'member and said cam=members beingdis'posed in different planes for engagement 70 with the periphery of a needle at points spaced longitudinally of the needle, a member disposed 1 below said cam members to limit the insertion of the needle, a stop means for limiting the 'move- 'ment of the needle, and a pivoted thread pulling 75 r V hook supported for movement relative to a needle engaging said stop means.

3. A needle threader comprising opposed cam members one movable relative to the other, said cam members being disposed in different planes for engagement with the periphery of a needle at points spaced lengitudinally of the needle, a member disposed below said cam members to limit the insertion of the needle between said cam members, and a thread pulling hook supported for movement transverse to the length of the needle.

4. A needle threader comprising opposed members movable one relative to the other and adapted to frictionally contact with the periphery of a needle whereby to turn said needle upon movement of the needle longitudinally of the members, one of said members having a needle engaging surface different from the needle engaging surface of the other member, means for stopping the movement of the needle, and a thread pulling hook supported for movement transverse to the length of the needle.

5. A needle threader comprising opposed members movable one relative to the other and adapted to frictionally contact with the periphery of a needle whereby to turn said needle upon movement of the needle longitudinally of the members, said members being disposed in difierent planes and one of said members having a needle engaging surface different from the needle engaging surface of the other member, means for stopping the movement of the needle relative to the members, and a thread pulling hook supported for movement transverse to the length of the needle.

WALTER FREY. 

